The Woods of Erebor
by neverover
Summary: Bilbo and Tauriel have a conversation as he prepares to leave Dale and Erebor for the last time, sixty years after BOTFA.


**The plot bunnies just won't leave me alone. This is meant to be a short collection of disjointed moments in the lives of Kili and Tauriel and other related characters after the Battle of the Five Armies until the Battle of Dale during the War of the Ring and beyond. They all exist within the same AU continuity, but won't be in chronological order. I'm using the book canon timeline (the movie timeline is fickle, and flips between it's own chronology and the book one) - this means that BOTFA happened in 2942, and the War of the Ring in 3019, with 77 years in between the two events.**

**This chapter is set after Bilbo pulls his disappearing act on his birthday and moves to Rivendell (where he'll spend the rest of his life). He visits the Lonely Mountain and Dale a last time.**

**Late spring, 3002**

Bilbo stretched and yawned in the warm spring sun shining upon Dale. The great farewell feast of the previous night was still sitting somewhat heavily on his stomach, for he had helped himself to one too many servings of pig roast (and two or three too many glasses of fine wine). After the great loudness of the evening banquet, the palace was now silent. He had found this particular balcony almost by chance, and had been recompensated with a stunning view of the city sprawling underneath with its hanging gardens, the green fields around and the majestic door of Erebor ensconced in the mountain side, glistening in the sun. Birds were flying high in the sky, high-pitchedly calling each other. A pretty sparrow hopped a few feet from him on the balcony ledge. All in all, that morning was a picture of quiet cheerfulness. It had been a month of lovely days, and this was the loveliest of them all.

As he did his morning stretches (he was no longer a young gentlehobbit, and his joints were a bit stiff after waking up), he heard a soft voice calling his name. Turning, he saw it was the elven wife of the dwarven King's brother, Tauriel. He still remembered the day when that most unexpected wedding invitation had arrived on his doorstep, almost sixty years before. "Well, this is _peculiar_," he had thought to himself. The marriage of a dwarf prince of Durin's lineage to a Woodland elf could only be described as such: peculiar, and a tad bizarre, considered the long-standing animosity between their races.

"Tauriel, _hiril nín_ ," he said. "I was admiring the gates of Erebor just now."

On that particular morning, the princess was accompanied by another princess of the dwarves, her daughter. She was a terribly lovely little girl. During his month-long stay in the kingdoms of Erebor and Dale, he had seen her on a couple of occasions, along with her brothers: lively and well-mannered children, the joy of their father. Bilbo had been pleased to see Kili, his old journey companion who had been so reckless as a young man, settled and matured into a true gentle lord.

"It is a beautiful day," said Tauriel as she joined him on the balcony. The little princess remained behind in the sunlit hall and sat gracefully on a wooden chest.

"Indeed it is," said Bilbo, congenially. "I was thinking that one should never depart from a pleasant place on a sunny day. It makes for a bout of nostalgia every time."

"Rivendell is a fine place to return to," she said smiling. "I hope I'll be able to visit soon. Maybe this summer. Will you be there, Master Baggins?"

"I would hope so," he replied. "I won't be travelling for a while. I have finally decided to write my memories."

"And what remarkable memories they must be, coming from someone like you," said Tauriel.

The two enjoyed the warmth in silence for a couple of long moments. The sun was shining in a most becoming way on Tauriel: her hair was a beautiful shade of red in the sunlight and her green eyes gleamed. The clear jewels woven into her hair shone bright, as did the silver woven into the silk of her brocade overcoat. He had seen little of her in the days of the quest, once in Mirkwood, and then again at the end of the battle; he remembered a warrior, battle-hardened and stoic. She had softened.

"You have rebuilt fine lives for yourselves," said Bilbo at last, gesturing towards the fields. "I remember the devastation. The ground was charred and barren. But look now! Grass and flowers everywhere you turn. Even the slopes of the Lonely Mountain have turned green again, like they were in the days of Thrór."

He had been given a tour of the young thriving woods around the Mountain: oaks, beeches and pines, maples and silver birches, lichens and fungi had now reclaimed almost half of what they had lost to dragonfire. The rest of the land was covered in tall grass and orderly cultivated plots.

"Life is remarkably persistent, if given a chance," said Tauriel. "I remember when all of us, Dwarves and Men, prepared the soil, and then planted seeds and saplings. The Elvenking and my people helped too," she added. "Some believed nothing would ever grow again. I had to fight some vocal opposition. But it took just sixty years to heal the dragon's desolation."

"Sixty years is little time in the life of an Elf," mused Bilbo. "But almost a lifetime for a man. Years go by so quickly. I was deeply saddened to hear about King Bard's death, and almost thirty years have passed already since that day."

"He was a good man," said Tauriel. "And his son as well. But time is quickening for him too."

They had known Bain, son of Bard, as a boy - he had been brave then, as Laketown suffered the dragon's revenge. And now he was an old man, almost at the end of his run, and his own son had grey streaks in his hair.

"Time conspires against me too, _hiril nín, _and I feel this is the last time I'll ever see the Lonely Mountain," he said. "Or walk through the fine streets of Dale. This is goodbye for me."

Tauriel smiled with that soft loveliness typical of her kin. "The One has granted you a long and bountiful life, Master Baggins," she said. "Elves, Dwarves and Men, we can only thank you for your courage and your determination. Many a tragedy would have happened if you hadn't left the comfort of your home after an ill-mannered group of dwarves disturbed your peace."

Bilbo opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. It didn't feel entirely comfortable to be praised so openly, but he felt a light and pleasant warmth in his old heart.

"I thank you for your kindness, my lady Tauriel," he said.

"I will meet you later in the morning, Master Baggins," she said. "My husband and brother-in-law wanted to talk to you before we all part again." She bowed her head then and left, her light silver overcoat brushing against the marble floor.

"_Gwaem_, Gilriel," she said. The little girl had been idly braiding her dark hair while they spoke. She took her mother's hand, shot Bilbo a serious look over her shoulder and then they were gone.

**A/N.**

**_hiril nín - my lady_**

**_gwaem - let's go_**

**Please forgive any grammar mistake, I'm not a native speaker. Hope you enjoyed it :)**


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